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BlackBerry Z10 pricing and carrier availability

The BlackBerry Z10 was finally announced today along with the full-QWERTY BlackBerry Q10. The Z10 will be making its debut to the world starting tomorrow in the UK. It will be available for varying price points from EE, O2, Vodafone, Phones 4u, BT, 3UK and the Carphone Warehouse.

In Canada the BlackBerry Z10 will be available starting February 5th for around $149 on a 3-year term. In the UAE the Z10 will be available starting February 10th. Lastly, the US will be offering up the Z10 in late March, however carrier pre-registration will be available soon.

We're all entitled to opinions, so you sir can shut up. And I don't believe that BS. RIM/BlackBerry has been selling phones in the U.S. for how long now? They should know how long the process of carrier testing takes and should have gotten the devices into carrier hands earlier. This is more RIM/BlackBerry's fault than the carriers. Truly disappointing.

Srsly, blame could probably fairly be shared by BB and the carriers. I think the carriers could have done more to get it out 15 days or a month earlier. Come on. You KNOW all this delay is so the carriers can get their un-deletable bloatware ready and loaded onto the phones.

If developers can get phone to do what they need why couldnt carriers do the same thing and I bet they could get phones faster and earlier than developers to do what they need and or want. so it is more than likely on the carriers to add their stuff on the phones.

This is sooooo not on the carriers.....stop making excuses for Thorsten and BB's screw ups. This is ALLLL ON RIM/Blackberry...just like not getting app support for previous devices..ie playbook. Just like the numerous delays in the past...this guy Thorsten should be ashamed of his rotten execution of the launch and saying good bye to the American market.

Maybe they want to focus on their dedicated fans which will give the phone some time to show what it can do in the hands of everyday people. It will build more buzz so by the time it hits the US, people will be more likely to give Blackberry a chance.

Anyways, why does the US have to give the world its opinion on something for the world to decide if it likes it or not? Let the rest of the world think for themselves.

The US isn't the most important market to anyone but people living there.

Rim will make a much bigger impact in the rest of the world where their market share is larger and more loyal. It makes perfect marketing sense to launch first in your strongest markets and filter down. Canada isn't getting it for a week either, which I hate, but understand.

Actually, with the major stock markets and virtually ALL the important corporate analysts here in the US, yes, the US really IS the most important market. A two month loss of momentum/delay from intro to availability in this market is the kiss of death among those passing judgment on the long-term viability of the company. By comparison, the loyalty of the Canadian, UAE, or Vietnamese markets is next to insignificant.

So all the carriers in the US got together and decided they didn't want to have an advantage over the each other by having thenphone available before the competition. That sounds completely logical....

Dropped the Ball RIM. Launch date would indicate that everything is ready to go. All at the same time. Launch it, Buy it, Use it! This Launch Date is just boring rhetorical crap. Tech guys hire some Marketing guys or ask your customers. Very diasappointed!

I did that with my Bold 9900. I paid a ridiculous price, but I got my Rogers 9900 from the Great White North, and I got it working (except visual voice mail) on AT&T months before AT&T released their own 9900.

But I am concerned about doing the same with the Z10. With the new OS and the new hardware, will it still work on the same BIS and with the same SIM card?

Will that work? I've been waiting so long for BB10 to only have it put off another month!! I'm excited verizon has the White Z10 exclusivity, but literally seeing RED that I can't get it on VZW til March 5th-ish. So how would I go about buying one from another carrier and getting it to work?! I want it now!

Answer: Anyone who knows marketing understands, UK and ASIA are biggest markets. So Thor is trying to prep up demand there, create some buzz about how many devices are selling and take that buzz to the USA.

for so many years companies have tried that strategy on asians. now its reverse americanization.

Imagine if they launched the product in USA first and since the market share is low, they sold less. That would have a negative effect worldwide and dampen sales abroad as well.

I also concur but I'm going to be waiting much too long and I'm going to have to endure my "friends" taunting me at wheres the phone?? Thought it was coming out soon?? smh what a long month potentially two months to wait!!

Feel for US users, but the strategy makes sense for success. US carriers will support a phone that is proven products and is trending socially. This gives BlackBerry the chance to accomplish this, to get the buzz and carrier support they will need in the US. Will hurt the stock in the short term, success in the long run. I have stocks but am with Chris and a value investors.

Answer: Anyone who knows marketing understands, UK and ASIA are biggest markets. So Thor is trying to prep up demand there, create some buzz about how many devices are selling and take that buzz to the USA.

for so many years companies have tried that strategy on asians. now its reverse americanization.

Imagine if they launched the product in USA first and since the market share is low, they sold less. That would have a negative effect worldwide and dampen sales abroad as well.

+1 to you! with such low market share in US, why would BB should give the first release to the US instead of those way more highly demanded markets? they should create the momentum and anticipation first then bring those back to US for more possible success. for I know Apple has been doing this to other regions for years.

If you bought stock on the US market SELL IT FAST!!! Not in the US until MARCH!!! Why have the launch event in the US if the phone won't be there for almost 2 months...that is just BS...way to drop the ball RM...I mean BlackBerry...but who really cares any more...

I do not know how they do it in other countries, but I would have to assume that each individual carrier here in the US has to go through the FCC as part of their testing process to certify the phones for each network. also US carriers have better profit margins with Iphones and android phones.

waiting till March sucks, but it is better than the 4 month time frame some people were talking about.

Agreed! S**t! MTS is a regional carrier. I am MTS and have to wait till March sometime to get this, alongside the USA market, if I want it on my carrier.
It's the price I apy for actually being able to take advantage of the LTE band on this device (there is no other LTE coverage provider in Manitoba).

The US Carriers dropped the ball... unfortunately the world has changed. A few years ago not targeting the US first would have been a major error. The world is a much smaller space... and it is being proven that though the US is important... The world is by far the place to target first and also the most important - we are now in a Global village, the days of complete US domination is over. Blackberry is number one in the UK. They should be rewarded for their loyalty!

30 Jan 2013 - Death of RIM and Birth of the new branding enter : BlackBerry

I'm not that surprised cause i predicted it would be in march about a month or so ago...although i was expecting march world wide and not just the u.s...i don't mind too much seeing as everyone that gets it next week are pretty much beta testers so i'm sure they'll workout the few bugs by the time we get it in the u.s. ;p

I'm pissed that the US will be last to get the new BlackBerry phones, but if you look at Verizon's press release they haven't set in stone the time period/date they'll be available. There's still a slight chance they might be released before late March. If we do indeed have to wait I will be pulling my hair out!http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2013/01/blackberry-10.html

March? really? I thought the US market was where they needed the biggest comeback! They're going to have a super bowl commercial, but people will have forgot about it by the time it comes out... I'll need to think hard on if I'm really going to stay with bb. They could have at least used some lube!

I think that's what the carrier's in the US are hoping for, they are so far up apples but and have contracts to sell so many phones. It ducks and I'm passed, but we need to get in their faces and not let them forget. I WANT THE Z10.

I haven't read any of the other comments, so this is just my reaction from watching the webcast. I was really stoked by the presentation, impressed with all the Z10's capabilities...and then Thorsten told us that the US would essentially be last in line to get their hands on this awesome device. March? This is extremely disappointing. I held off on using an upgrade on my Verizon account for 2 or 3 months in anticipation of being able to acquire a new BB soon after today's events, and now we're looking at potentially another couple of months before it's ready. If the US was going to be slighted, why in the WORLD did they hold the launch event in NYC? Baffling, to say the least.

they held the release in New York because it is the finance capital of the US. It is also home to the stock market, which BBRY is listed on. STOP BLAMING BLACKBERRY!!!!!!!!!!! the wait is all carrier based.

Disagree. I think BB had an opportunity to present the devices to the US carriers earlier and thus avoid this delay. Carrier-based delays in the United States are old, old news. For BlackBerry to overlook/underestimate the impact of this market condition was yet another in a series of expensive missteps. I think this one will really wind up biting them, but that's just my two cents.

Late March? ARGH!! I can only hope my old BB makes it that much longer. I've been due for an upgrade since August.
I know this isn't BlackBerry's doing, but it still doesn't make me feel any better. :(

The US carriers suck. Period.
I have a HTC One X from AT&T that I bought last June. It still hasn't been updated to Jelly Bean yet. The carriers don't care.
I was so looking forward to getting my Q10 asap. Not sure what I will do now.
As much as I hate Apple, you can bet the device would be available in a few days if they introduced it. Sad

I'm a UK resident and my Torch 9800 is out of contract. So what's the problem? I'm currently on holiday in the Caribbean, so I will have to wait until I get home to secure a brand new Z10.
I am disappointed for thos eof you in the US, but the wait will be worth it.

I know a lot of you are from the U.S. and pretty mad, but last I checked the biggest buyers of blackberries in the past were the UK, Canada, and the UAE, so yeah, it makes sense.

Also it's not just Americans that watch the superbowl believe it or not. Releasing the phone after their ad means it will have time to build hype and established. More people watch the commercials than the actual superbowl (myself being one of those) and more and more people are watching the ads online. It takes time to get those spread around.

Also, the longer it's out in other countries means the more info you can get about them, the more reviews you can read to decide if it's really right for you, and the more things they can potentially iron out before you get it.

Yes, it sucks to wait, I'm pretty bummed too, but March is a lot better than April (when the rest of the world gets it) and far better than next year, or never. Be glad you have time to save up your money.

Yes, bummer for us, but the US Market was probably the meanest and most critical of BB since the rise of Android & iPhone. Nothing good was said here & most business & technical news outlets had RIMM dead & buried. Point is, I would not blame BB if they had purposely held the US market for last because we gave them zero chance of survival and (except for us fans) absolutely NO respect! So now BB can dangle the Z10 in front of us and say, "wouldn't you just love some of this...?...well, too bad..."

Well what I find really funny is all the people who've said they're not getting one now because they have to wait, is just proving WHY BB is looking at the US last. There's no respect for production times, there's no patience, and apparently no care for what the product ACTUALLY is.

So many people are disappointed because they wanted it NOW (even though nobody ever said it would be released today) and more importantly, they want it before the people who actually DID wait, and DID support BB through it all.

Sorry but for everyone who is tossing aside their plans to get a BB10 just because of a slight wait, it's that attitude that caused the delay in the first place. This goes doubly for everyone who switched over to the iphone or an android because they couldn't wait. In comparison almost a third of all cellphones sold in Canada were blackberries, so it's no wonder they're coming out sooner.

You know, the more I think about this, the more angry I get. BlackBerry should have gotten the devices in US carriers' hands sooner for testing: the well-known delays caused by testing are exactly that--well-known--and should have been accounted for. To say "blame the carriers" exclusively is ludicrous. I'm in the camp that says yes, yet again, BlackBerry has dropped the ball. If BB saw the US market as important, this would not be happening. As I see it then, they don't need my unimportant business, so I'll stick with what I'm using now and, later this year, when Verizon can't give these things away, I'll dip a toe and see what all the fuss *was* about. What a letdown after such--in my opinion--a fantastic presentation.

Late March release and being on AT&T it'll probably be even later, still no announcement for Netflix (I know that's nitpicky, but that's big for me)...and I'm due for an upgrade March 21st. I've already been playing with the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 just in case. I don't want to switch from my beloved BB's, but time's a-wasting and I got s(tuff) to do.

Wow I just want to say what a mistake RIM is making. I was pretty excited to get my hands on a Z10 but now will probably just wait. Samsung is said to unveil the galaxy s 4 in mid March. Also Mobil world Congress is in late February. All the buzz in USA over bb10 will be gone. 70% of the world uses android and 22% use apple. The rest is what bb10 and Windows Phone are in. Don't you think they need to make sure the phone is available ASAP before Samsung makes the Z10 old news???? Also what's with spending millions on a super bowl add and the device isn't even able to be purchased till over a month and a half later.. It just doesn't make any sense. The Z10 was originally meant to be released over Christmas this is indeed another fail by RIM. I used to be such a bb diehard but I think after this snub by RIM I'm done.

I'm with you, I'm done with BB too....I've been so loyal...defending bb to everyone else...yes I'm the last hold out in the office using and wanting a BB. Now, forget it. Thorsten did such a crappy job of the launch it made me sick. Nothing new or exciting. I'm tired of being LIED to. I'm tired of the fanboy crap of blaming everyone else instead of where the blame should lay ->blackberrry. I can't really stand apple, no love to have google deeper in my life than it is, windows phones are not ready for prime time not to mention the interface is ugly as hell. So I've dug my old palm pda out and have it charging now. Will head over to the vzw store tomorrow and look for a DUMB phone...ya a good ole dumb phone. Oh BTW Thorsten, my GF's IT dept was so impressed with your launch that they decided that RIM/blackberry has no chance for survival and are going to dump blackberry now. That's a company of 260,000 ppl that has about 7,000 company blackberry's. WTG Thorsten, you just cost BB a pretty nice client.

I guess I understand somewhat that the US carriers maybe dropped the ball etc. but I think Blackberry would have done themselves a favor if they would have let the US carries leak a few days ahead of the big launch that it would be another 2 months for US customers.

Everyone who is loyal to BB has been waiting and waiting and waiting...and today a lot of them went away with the only thing being...wait some more...

The US may not be Blackberrys biggest fans, but the US customer has always embraced tech goodies and does purchase enough products (incl mobile) to justify at worst a mid Feb availability from these US carriers. Verizon stores are really a shadow of what they were 2-3 years ago. They went all in on droids and Iphone. The Blackberry is an after thought to them so it was no surprise the wait would be a long one. I have an upgrade that I have saved since before the BB7 phones came to market. My Storm 2 still gets the job done, but its a bit long in the tooth. I was hoping for a quick release of the Z10.

It doesnt surprise me in the slightest that they are releasing in the UK first. The UK carriers have always been on the ball with testing, and support when compared other countries.

The US carriers were always the worst in support terms. If you ring up a US carrier for BlackBerry support you almost always get diverted to RIM Support (now BlackBerry). Every UK carrier has its own support teams that will only pass on to RIM should they no be able to fix the issue.

I suppose it could be the U.S.' fault in that the FCC approval timeline is too lengthy and somewhat unpredictable. I'm more inclined to blame carriers, poor market share, and a more conservative launch strategy. The Playbook was demoralized by a terrible reaction to its release in the U.S. and that negativity reverberated around the globe. BlackBerry can and should expect a less demanding and more positive audience in other parts of the world -- particularly those who are just getting LTE and will be shocked by the speed increase. Hopefully, the U.S. will be influenced by positive foreign reviews instead of markets abroad being influenced by negative U.S. reviews. Finally, U.S. carriers just don't care. ATT purchased an exclusive for the Lumia 920 and then sat on it for at least a month or two after MS and Nokia did a huge push and show for it. This doubtlessly hurt sales as enthusiasm had disapated by the time the 920 finally was made available by ATT. Same thing could be happening in this case. Right now the only company that even impacts U.S. carriers with any kind of urgency is Apple... but that might all change soon... :)

I am very disappointed that the Z10 will not be released in the United States until March. And, judging from how long it took for AT&T to release the Bold 9900, I expect to be among the last in the world to get a Z10.

Very disappointed, fire everyone in the marketing department., I've been holding off on my upgrade since september, this sucks big time, fire Alicia Keys too, also fire every executive in the US carriers, these fools don't know anything, it's all about me don't you get it me!
You're fired too! Destroy the world! Waaah, ha,ha,ha...(laying on the floor in a fetal position repeating constantly: I want a Z10, I want a Z10)

I'm on T-Mobile here in the USA, and I'm willing to pay the price to Rogers to get the New Z10, but I'm not sure it is as simple as just ordering it from Rogers. Will I have to then find some way to unlock it? Will all the functionality work on T-Mobile for me? I remember whent the Torch 9800 was released, ATT did something to disable it's full functionality on other networks. I woudl just like to make sure that is not the story with this beautiful new Z10.

Just have to wonder if this is being done in purpose by the US carriers as they have gone all in for Android and Apple and rather than spend time and effort being ready for BB10, they sit on it and hope it blows over so they don't have to train retailers, customer service, tech support etc...

Seems they kind of did the same thing with Windows phones....yes we have them but hey look at this apple/android phone we already sell and support...

When I was eligible for a new phone, and lower rates, on T-Mob several months ago, rather than switching carriers or getting a 9900, I decided to wait for the new '10s', but hesitantly, knowing they'd likely pull something like this: "March", likely meaning 'late March', just as 'January' became 'January 30th' for the 'roll out.' Well, nothing is being rolled out here in the states, just more delays. By the time they hit the market here the new technologies will have lost their luster, and BB will have squandered the opportunity to re-grab a decent share of the U.S. market. And likely including this person's share of the market.

I'm not exactly thrilled about the wait (US) was a little disappointing but if it's coming out around March 5th that's only 35 days not 60 - we've waited this long - it will definitely be worth it. Who knows maybe the carriers will wise up and surprise us a little bit earlier.

Despite being a BB fanboy, I have to agree with you. They had to strike while the iron was hot. That said, someone raised a good point earlier of creating buzz abroad where BBs are king to generate interest before release in the US.

Is it me or am I justified in feeling quite disappointed? I've been anticipating this moment for quite a while. I've never watched a web news presentation before, never bought stock in any company before. I was truly psyched.

The presntation I've been waiting for for months was basically the same one that has been available on YouTube since last summer. What was news is that the US has to wait for close to two months to buy these new phones. Now I agree, the Superbowl ad is a waste of money. The better it is, the more ineffective in the US it will be. On top of all this, the carrier I've used for 15 years, Sprint, isn't even going to carry the all-touch Z10?

For a moment I've been as excited about as anything in quite some time, all I feel is ...deflated.

Holly crap posts!!!
I have not seen these many posts on Crackberry for eons :)
What a welcome change.

Launch it in the UK first! solid logic, those folks stuck around with Rim more than any other country in the G7 and it is the biggest "upgrade" market. Releasing it anywhere else first would hardly be a solid logic.
I'm from Canada and it sure kind of irks me that we get them a week later as the stupid pride in me blinds the business reasoning.

The US on the other hand definitely needs a warm up period as there are so many iPhone users that majority just don't see beyond the iOS design (simple, beautiful, elegant) the waiting in line will allow them to see that they are missing (sophistication) which the Blackberry brings to the table.

...all of a sudden all other phones really starting to look like toys.

Holly crap posts!!!
I have not seen these many posts on Crackberry for eons :)
What a welcome change.

Launch it in the UK first! solid logic, those folks stuck around with Rim more than any other country in the G7 and it is the biggest "upgrade" market. Releasing it anywhere else first would hardly be as effective.

I'm from Canada and it sure kind of irks me that we get them a week later as the stupid pride in me blinds the business reasoning.

The US on the other hand definitely needs a warm up period as there are so many iPhone users that majority just don't see beyond the iOS design (simple, beautiful, elegant) the waiting in line will allow them to see that they are missing (sophistication) which the Blackberry brings to the table.

...all of a sudden all other phones really starting to look like toys.

What is the status of the sales in the UK?
The "Z" has been out for a "while", and there is no info available on how many were picked up so far.
It would be nice to see a daily overview from our English friends.

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